Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyearbyen and Stavanger Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyearbyen and Stavanger

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $2,773 in Stavanger.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Longyearbyen versus $4,121 in Stavanger.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,819 in Longyearbyen versus $5,469 in Stavanger.

Living in Longyearbyen costs roughly 18% less than in Stavanger, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Longyearbyen 69% above, Stavanger 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 NOK 195

$25.15 NOK 242

-19.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 968

$124 NOK 1,192

-18.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 NOK 129

$15.47 NOK 149

-13.19%

Cappuccino

$6.41 NOK 61.7

$5.09 NOK 49.03

25.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 34.28

$3.97 NOK 38.22

-10.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NOK 36.50

$3.42 NOK 32.96

10.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NOK 68.1

$11.30 NOK 109

-37.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 NOK 91.8

$10.04 NOK 96.7

-4.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.92 NOK 28.08

$2.43 NOK 23.44

20.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 NOK 31.87

$3.04 NOK 29.25

8.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.64

$4.50 NOK 43.33

-26.89%

Eggs

$4.79 NOK 46.16

$4.44 NOK 42.75

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 NOK 100

$12.96 NOK 125

-19.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 142

$16.11 NOK 155

-8.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 NOK 274

$27.22 NOK 262

4.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 30.35

$3.47 NOK 33.44

-9.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 29.01

$2.54 NOK 24.42

18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 30.20

$3.10 NOK 29.88

0.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 43.93

$4.76 NOK 45.84

-4.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.61

$2.16 NOK 20.77

51.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 32.13

$3.09 NOK 29.74

8.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NOK 17.86

$2.61 NOK 25.09

-29.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 NOK 5.91

$1.74 NOK 16.76

-64.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 NOK 146

$14.94 NOK 144

1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 NOK 136

$17.99 NOK 173

-21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 31.58

$3.49 NOK 33.64

-6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.61

$4.14 NOK 39.88

-3.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 NOK 41.95

$4.67 NOK 44.97

-6.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 NOK 718

$68.4 NOK 659

8.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 NOK 97.0

$15.04 NOK 145

-32.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 10.08

$2.15 NOK 20.75

-51.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.15 NOK 454

$101 NOK 975

-53.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.77

$2.18 NOK 20.98

-5.96%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.7K NOK 344.2K

$34.5K NOK 332.2K

3.62%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.2K NOK 377.3K

$33.2K NOK 319.5K

18.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$72.8 NOK 701

$191 NOK 1,840

-61.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$37.60 NOK 362

$43.05 NOK 415

-12.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NOK 466

$81.9 NOK 789

-40.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.55 NOK 477

$56.0 NOK 539

-11.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 339

$34.99 NOK 337

0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$12.02 NOK 116

$19.39 NOK 187

-38.01%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$282 NOK 2,716

$315 NOK 3,035

-10.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 99.4K

$12.8K NOK 123.1K

-19.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 921

$119 NOK 1,150

-19.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 NOK 499

$59.8 NOK 576

-13.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,043

$107 NOK 1,028

1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NOK 1,489

$161 NOK 1,550

-3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 NOK 6,760

$1,617 NOK 15.6K

-56.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,685

$1,134 NOK 10.9K

-20.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 NOK 17.6K

$2,719 NOK 26.2K

-32.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 NOK 14.8K

$1,738 NOK 16.7K

-11.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,928 NOK 57.1K

$5,982 NOK 57.6K

-0.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,914 NOK 37.7K

$5,156 NOK 49.7K

-24.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 NOK 27.4K

$4,945 NOK 47.6K

-42.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

4.51

-2.88%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 12, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $702 in Longyearbyen and $1,617 in Stavanger. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stavanger pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Longyearbyen vs $124 in Stavanger for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $466 per month, with Longyearbyen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Longyearbyen vs Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Longyearbyen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Stavanger. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $702 in Longyearbyen versus $1,617 in Stavanger. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Longyearbyen runs roughly 9% less than in Stavanger. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $282 in Longyearbyen versus $315 in Stavanger. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,261 in Longyearbyen versus $2,773 in Stavanger, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Longyearbyen but tight or insufficient in Stavanger. The gap between the two cities makes Longyearbyen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Longyearbyen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stavanger, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Longyearbyen and Stavanger are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Longyearbyen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Stavanger. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.